Fire In Your Blood
by JolinarJackson
Summary: How long had it been since Ianto had cut himself on the jagged edges of a vial he'd dropped, allowing the poison within to enter his bloodstream? Too long.


**Fire In Your Blood**

_Word Count: _986

_Summary: _How long had it been since Ianto had cut himself on the jagged edges of a vial he'd dropped, allowing the poison within to enter his bloodstream? Too long.

_Characters: _Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Owen Harper, Gwen Cooper, Toshiko Sato, OC

_Pairing:_ Jack/Ianto

_Rating: _PG-13

_Spoiler: _None

_Setting: _Series Two

_Warnings: _Torture (nothing graphic or gory)

_Author's Note: _Written for jack_ianto_las for the prompt _Childhood Memories_. Apparently, not even a happy prompt like that can make me write a happy story at the moment. In this story, Jack remembers events he told the real Jack about in _Captain Jack Harkness_. Slightly changed following suggestions in feedbacks on jack_ianto_las.

_Disclaimer: _I'm not making money with this fanfic. The tv-show _Torchwood _and the characters appearing within it belong to their producers and creators. Any similarities to living or dead persons are purely coincidental and not intended.

XXX

The scream echoed through the archives and Ianto's body strained against the tight hold Jack had on him. Jack was vaguely aware of Gwen and Tosh a few feet away, their eyes wide and their faces shocked. He heard Owen rummage through his equipment, muttering curses.

The scream died slowly, becoming first a sob, then a whimper, fading into ragged breathing. Jack buried his face in Ianto's sweaty hair and shifted his hold a bit to pull him even closer. Ianto's shirt was clammy, his body hot, fever raging through his veins.

"Owen," Jack said, his voice sounding as harsh and tired as he felt.

"The morphine doesn't seem to help, and I don't have an antidote."

Ianto whispered, "Stop, stop, stop ..." He sobbed and Jack kissed his forehead, trying to ignore the memories Ianto's condition was evoking.

_Another body in his arms, another hoarse voice pleading for mercy. Green eyes and a panicked, too-young face staring up at Jack. _

_"Jack, help me ..."_

"Jack," Ianto whimpered. His fists tightened their hold around Jack's braces, a warning sign, then he screamed. Jack squeezed his eyes shut, feeling tears running down his cheeks.

_"I can't …," Jack said, trying to bite back a sob. "I'm sorry." They were too young for this. To think that he'd felt honored to be recruited with only fifteen ... and now he and Zane had been caught by the enemy ..._

_Zane screamed, his back arched and Jack had trouble to keep him in his arms. The barrel of a gun stroked down Jack's cheek and he jerked backwards, shielding Zane from the grinning monster towering over them._

_The being sneered. "You want this to stop? Then tell us everything about your colony and weapons."_

Ianto's scream didn't die this time, it was cut off abruptly. It was a relief. How long had it been since Ianto had cut himself on the jagged edges of a vial he'd dropped, allowing the poison within to enter his bloodstream?

Too long.

_It had taken Zane only hours to die. Jack clung to his dead body, suddenly so very still in his arms, and cried. Because he felt guilty for being so loyal and not giving any information away. Because nothing would ever be the same again – he would never be the same again._

Gwen's sharp voice cut through the fog of memories. "Jack, he can't breathe."

A hand touched his and he recoiled, glaring at Gwen.

She looked anxious. "Let him go, Jack!"

Confused, he looked down at Ianto and realized that his hand was clamped over Ianto's mouth and nose. He snatched it away as if he'd been burned. Ianto just coughed and turned his head to kiss Jack's chest, just above his heart. Forgiveness.

He knew about Zane.

Gwen's voice softened. "You have to take a break. It's been two hours."

"Take a break?" Jack repeated and fixed his eyes on her. She looked tired and haggard in the dim light of the archives, as did Tosh, who had tears running down her face.

"You're not helping him," Gwen remarked.

"She's right," Owen said when Ianto's whimpers became a moan, "you've held him the whole time, Jack. Take a break."

Jack shook his head and pressed Ianto's face to his chest, muffling the next scream. "I stay. It's going to get worse before it gets better. That's how this poison works. I've seen it before!"

Ianto would get better, though. He had to. Jack couldn't bear the thought of him dying ...

"Then tell me what to do!" Owen snapped, helpless.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air, only disturbed by Ianto coughing. Jack closed his eyes. Decision time.

"You lot go upstairs. I'll stay with him."

"Jack," Tosh said, shaking her head.

"Someone has to deal with the Rift and I want you to eat something, get your strength back, before the next alarm comes in."

"What about you?" Gwen asked.

"Ianto needs me."

"Shouldn't we get him to the med bay?"

"No. He won't be comfortable no matter where we are. Moving him would only make it worse." He looked at Owen. "This poison is used as a torture device in some galaxies. If you can't do anything to dull the pain, you shouldn't be here. It'll wear off in a few hours. It won't kill him."

Tosh asked, "Are you sure?"

Jack looked at her and lied, "Yes."

XXX

Ianto had stopped screaming half an hour ago and was now lying in Jack's arms, limp. Jack brushed a hand over Ianto's sweaty forehead and felt him nuzzling his chest. Jack shifted his hold on Ianto and pulled him up a bit to catch his lips in a tender kiss. "You're fine," he whispered, trying to ban Ianto's screams from his memory, and failing. He felt tears gather in his eyes.

"Is it over?" Ianto muttered. He looked at Jack, exhaustion written all over his face. Suddenly he whimpered, his eyes widening fearfully when the pain seemed to increase once more.

"Sh," Jack said. "Just the aftershocks now. It's over."

Ianto's body relaxed when the pain went away. Jack tried a reassuring smile but it was strained. Zane's screams and dead eyes were still echoing through his mind. Ianto was alright, he reminded himself, he was stronger than Zane had been and he was okay.

Ianto's trembling hand wiped tears from Jack's cheek. "Zane," he said knowingly.

Jack nodded. Ianto's arms came around Jack's shoulders and Jack returned the embrace, holding Ianto tight. In his mind, the images of Zane and Ianto overlapped and he saw himself looking down at Ianto's dead body in the morgue just like he'd looked at Zane's – unable to comprehend that he'd played ball with this broken boy.

He buried his face in the bend of Ianto's neck.

"I'm alive," Ianto whispered and brushed a hand through Jack's hair. "I'm here."

END

04/11


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